Installation and method for cleaning ballast of a track

ABSTRACT

An installation for cleaning ballast of a track includes a plurality of vehicles having machine frames supported on on-track undercarriages. Two shoulder clearing chains, positioned opposite one another relative to a transverse direction of the track, take up ballast located in a shoulder area adjoining sleeper ends, an endless clearing chain follows the shoulder clearing chains relative to a working direction of the installation and is to be guided around the track for taking up ballast underneath the track. A screening installation, conveying devices for transporting ballast, and a ballast introduction device are also provided. A first conveying device transporting ballast to the screening installation is associated with the shoulder clearing chains. A second conveying device transporting ballast to a processing unit is associated with the endless clearing chain. A third conveying device transporting ballast to the screening installation is associated with the processing unit.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The invention relates to an installation for cleaning ballast of atrack, consisting of several vehicles having machine frames supported onon-track undercarriages, including two shoulder clearing chains,positioned opposite one another with regard to a transverse direction ofthe track, for taking up the ballast located in a shoulder areaadjoining sleeper ends, an endless clearing chain following the shoulderclearing chains with respect to a working direction of the installationand designed to be guided around the track for taking up the ballastlocated underneath the track, further including a screeninginstallation, conveying devices for the transport of ballast, and aballast introduction device. The invention also relates to a method forcleaning ballast of a track with an installation of this type.

PRIOR ART

The cleaning of the ballast bed, to be carried out at regular intervals,poses great demands on the track maintenance machines used in theprocess regarding the treatment and transport of the ballast. Enormousamounts of ballast have to be treated and transported in an efficientand cost-saving manner.

According to AT 514 806 B1, a vehicle combination for cleaning ballastof a track is already known. With respect to a working direction, firstthe ballast located in the track bed region adjoining sleeper ends istaken up by two shoulder clearing chains lying opposite one another inthe transverse direction of the track. Then, the ballast locatedunderneath the track is taken up by means of an endless clearing chainguided around the track. All of the excavated ballast is transported bymeans of a conveying device to a screening installation, is cleanedthere and reintroduced into the track.

Known from EP 0 629 744 A2 are a method and an installation for subgraderehabilitation of a ballast bed of a track. In this, the ballast isexcavated by means of two endless clearing chains which are guidedaround the track and arranged one following the other with regard to aworking direction. The ballast taken up by the front clearing chain iscomminuted in a stone crusher device and discharged by the rear clearingchain as a formation protection layer upon the earth formation exposedafter removal of the remaining ballast.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to provide an improvement over theprior art for an installation of the type mentioned at the beginning. Afurther object lies in showing a method for cleaning ballast of a trackby means of an improved installation.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that a firstconveying device for transport of ballast to the screening installationis associated with the shoulder clearing chains, a second conveyingdevice for transport of ballast to a processing unit is associated withthe endless clearing chain, and a third conveying device for transportof ballast to the screening installation is associated with theprocessing unit.

This configuration enables a needs-based cleaning or renewal of theballast bed of a track. Though the ballast located in a shoulder regionadjoining sleeper ends is normally also contaminated, it is however notas heavily mechanically stressed during the service life as the ballastlocated underneath the track. The latter is heavily worn by directloading during rail operations, which means that the sharp edges of theindividual ballast stones, required for a stable structure of the trackbed, no longer exist. These edges can be restored by appropriateprocessing of this portion of the ballast bed in a processing unit. Theportion of the ballast bed less stressed does not need to be treated inthis manner and can be fed directly to a screening installation. In thisway, the flow rate of cleaned ballast and thus the working speed isincreased as compared to conventional installations.

A useful further development is realized in that the processing unit hasa pre-separator and a crusher following the same. When the ballastpasses through these two units, coarse contaminants are first separatedout, and subsequently the edges are sharpened.

In another advantageous embodiment, the processing unit is arranged on aseparate processing vehicle having a machine frame supported on on-trackundercarriages. The processing vehicle can thus be integrated withmanageable technical expense into an installation or, if there is noneed for processing, can be excluded from the installation. Likewise,the expansion of an already existing installation with a processingvehicle is facilitated.

Several possibilities of incorporating the processing vehicle into theinstallation are conceivable: the installation can be configured in sucha way that the processing vehicle is arranged between the shoulderclearing chains and the endless clearing chain, with regard to theworking direction. It is also possible that the processing vehicle isarranged, with regard to the working direction, in front of the shoulderclearing chains and the endless clearing chain and behind the screeninginstallation. Finally, it is also conceivable that the processingvehicle and the screening installation are arranged between the shoulderclearing chains and the endless clearing chain, with regard to theworking direction.

Such variants ensure high flexibility when retrofitting existinginstallations with a processing vehicle. In addition, the composition ofthe installation can be advantageously influenced in dependence on theconstruction site situation and the availability of installationcomponents and material cars.

The object of the invention is also achieved by implementation of amethod in which the ballast located underneath the track is first fed toa processing unit and thereafter transported to the screeninginstallation. By the separate, condition-dependent taking-up of theballast, no ballast quantities accrue which are subjected to treatmentwhich is either too intensive or too inefficient. Thus, neither theclearing chains nor the components of the processing unit or theconveying devices or the screening installation are overstressed. Thesecan be dimensioned smaller and based on need.

A particularly advantageous embodiment of the method is achieved in thatthe ballast located underneath the track is first transported to apre-separator and then fed to a crusher. Method steps of this kindenable an optimal pre-cleaning and edge sharpening of the ballast wornby the rail operations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described below by way of example with referenceto the accompanying drawings. In a schematic manner, FIGS. 1 to 3 showside views of different variants of an installation for cleaning ballastof a track.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Visible in FIGS. 1 to 3 are installations 1 for cleaning ballast 2 of atrack 3. An installation 1 of this type consists of several vehicles 6having machine frames 5 supported on on-track undercarriages 4. Theinstallation 1 has two shoulder clearing chains 7, lying opposite oneanother in a transverse direction of the track, for taking up theballast 2 located in a shoulder area 8 adjoining sleeper ends, and anendless clearing chain 10, following the shoulder clearing chains 7 withrespect to a working direction 9 of the installation 1 and designed tobe guided around the track 3, for taking up the ballast 2 locatedunderneath the track 3. The installation 1 is further equipped with ascreening installation 11 for ballast cleaning, with conveying devices13, 14, 15, 21, 22 for transport of ballast 2, and with a ballastintroduction device 12.

A first conveying device 13 is designed for the transport of ballast 2from the shoulder clearing chains 7 to the screening installation 11.Associated with the endless clearing chain 10 is a second conveyingdevice 14 for the transport of ballast 2 to a processing unit 16 withwhich is associated a third conveying device 15 for the transport ofballast 2 to the screening installation 11. Each of the conveyingdevices 13, 14 and 15 is composed of several conveyor belts arranged onefollowing the other. The processing unit 16 has a pre-separator 17 and acrusher 18 following the same. All of the drives, not further shown, ofthe listed devices and units as well as motive drives are supplied withenergy by a central energy unit 19. The processing unit 16 is arrangedon a separate processing vehicle 20 having a machine frame 5 supportedon on-track undercarriages 4.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the processing vehicle 20 is arranged betweenthe shoulder chains 7 and the endless clearing chain 10, with regard tothe working direction 9.

In the installation 1 shown in FIG. 2, the processing vehicle 20 isarranged in front of the shoulder clearing chains 7 and the endlessclearing chain 10 and behind the screening installation 11, with regardto the working direction 9.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which the processing vehicle 20 and thescreening installation 11 are arranged between the shoulder clearingchains 7 and the endless clearing chain 10, with regard to the workingdirection 9.

The method for cleaning ballast 2 of a track 3 by means of aninstallation 1 will be described in more detail below. First, theballast 2 is removed by shoulder clearing chains 7 in a shoulder region8 adjoining sleeper ends and fed to the screening installation 11. Then,the ballast 2 located underneath the track 3 is removed by the endlessclearing chain 10. This worn ballast 2 is first fed to the processingunit 16 and only afterwards transported to the screening installation11. Inside the processing unit 16, the ballast 2 is first transported toa pre-separator 17 and then to a crusher 18. In the pre-separator 17,the ballast 2 is separated from coarse contaminants before the edges ofthe ballast 2 are sharpened in the crusher 18. Prior to the treatment ofthe ballast 2 in the screening installation 11, the ballast quantitiesremoved separately from one another are united again and together runthrough the screening installation 11. From there, the cleaned ballast 2is transported counter to the working direction 9 by means of a fourthconveying device 21 to a ballast introduction device 12 situated behindthe endless clearing chain 10, in order to be reintroduced into thetrack 3. The spoil accruing during the ballast cleaning is transportedvia a fifth conveying device 22 to a front end of the installation 1with regard to the working direction 9. Both the fourth and the fifthconveying device 21, 22 are composed of several conveyor belts arrangedone following the other.

1-8. (canceled)
 9. An installation for cleaning ballast of a track, theinstallation comprising: a plurality of vehicles including on-trackundercarriages and machine frames supported on said on-trackundercarriages; two shoulder clearing chains positioned opposite oneanother relative to a transverse direction of the track for taking upthe ballast located in a shoulder area adjoining sleeper ends; anendless clearing chain following said shoulder clearing chains relativea working direction of the installation, said endless clearing chainconfigured to be guided around the track for taking up the ballastlocated underneath the track; a screening installation; a ballastintroduction device; a processing unit; and conveying devices fortransporting the ballast, said conveying devices including: a) a firstconveying device associated with said shoulder clearing chains fortransporting the ballast to said screening installation; b) a secondconveying device associated with said endless clearing chain fortransporting the ballast to said processing unit; and c) a thirdconveying device associated with said processing unit for transportingthe ballast to said screening installation.
 10. The installationaccording to claim 9, wherein said processing unit includes apre-separator and a crusher following said pre-separator.
 11. Theinstallation according to claim 10, which further comprises a separateprocessing vehicle including on-track undercarriages and a machine framesupported on said on-track undercarriages, said processing unit beingdisposed on said separate processing vehicle.
 12. The installationaccording to claim 11, wherein said processing vehicle is disposedbetween said shoulder clearing chains and said endless clearing chain,relative to said working direction.
 13. The installation according toclaim 11, wherein said processing vehicle is disposed in front of saidshoulder clearing chains and said endless clearing chain and behind saidscreening installation, relative to said working direction.
 14. Theinstallation according to claim 11, wherein said processing vehicle andsaid screening installation are disposed between said shoulder clearingchains and said endless clearing chain, relative to said workingdirection.
 15. A method for cleaning ballast of a track, the methodcomprising the following steps: providing an installation according toclaim 9; removing the ballast in the shoulder area adjoining sleeperends prior to removing the ballast located underneath the track; feedingthe ballast located underneath the track to the processing unit and thentransporting the ballast to the screening installation; and subsequentlyintroducing the ballast into the track again.
 16. The method forcleaning ballast of a track according to claim 15, which furthercomprises transporting the ballast located underneath the track to apre-separator and then feeding the ballast from the pre-separator to acrusher.